Did you say it?
by storyofeden
Summary: They both needed someone to run to... Two oneshots.
1. Chapter 1

Bones said no. He had laid his heart out and offered her everything, and she said no.

After dropping her off at her apartment, Booth drove around the city. He drove around, block by block, not knowing exactly where he was going. He just knew he needed to go.

Tired of the silence, and what his thoughts were doing to him, Booth punched the button to turn on the radio a little too hard.

"_So why are you running away?"_ Hoobastank sang through the radio. Booth immediately pushed the "seek" button and found another station.

"_Everything I have I owe it to you_," the next song rang out. Booth changed the station just as quickly.

_Jeez, is everything against me tonight?_ He thought.

"_Yeah, I'm hot blooded, check it and—"_

Booth punched the button again to turn the radio off. This wasn't working. The driving around, it was only leaving him alone with his own thoughts. Or the radio's thoughts, which was almost worse. Before he knew it, Booth was headed to one of the only people he really trusted.

_Hopefully, this will help_, he pleaded.

* * *

Knocking on the door, Booth was practically shaking. Bones was all he could think about, all he could really see.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. We're closed!" A man's voice greeted his ears through the glass doors.

"Gordon Gordon!" Booth yelled, rapping on the glass again.

"Oh, Agent Booth! What on earth are you doing here?" the older man unlocked and opened the doors, allowing Booth to enter.

"I told her," was all he could trust himself to answer.

"You told who? Dr. Brennan?" the chef guessed. Booth looked down. "Ok, you told Dr. Brennan what, exactly?"

"I told her," Booth started. "I told her that—"

"You told Dr. Brennan that you love her?" he surmised. Booth nodded. Gordon had never seen the younger man quite this—distraught before. That was the only way to describe how he looked: sad. "Ok, Agent Booth, have a seat. I'm going to make you a scrumptious meal, and you shall tell me what all happened."

Booth recounted the events of that night while the older man cooked. At points, his voice cracked, and he would pause to regain his control.

"…So I…I told her that I have to move on. That I have to find someone who _will_ love me for 30 or 40 or 50 years," he paused. "And you know what she said? What her…response to that was?"

"What was it?" he asked, placing two plates on the table.

"She says 'I know'. She doesn't know. _I know_."

"And what do you know, Agent Booth?"

"That we're meant to be together! That…that I love her."

"Do you love her?" The older man questioned, taking sip from his water glass.

"Gordon," Booth sighed, exasperated. "Have you been listening to a thing I've been saying all night?"

"Yes, I have…which is why I'm asking that precise question."

"Of course I love her. You know that," Booth watched the man nod. "Sweets knows. Angela knows. Angela's _psychic_ knows, for Pete's sake. And Bones…"

Booth paused, swallowing the sudden urge to cry, "Bones knows. I—"

"Oh, does she now?" He interrupted the younger man, who now looked confused. "Does she know you love her, Agent Booth?"

"What? I mean…yeah. Of course she does. How couldn't she? Everyone tells her that I am. Angela tries to convince her on a daily basis to give me a chance."

"But have _you_ told her?"

"I...I don't know. I don't know."

Booth thought about it. _He'd told her, hadn't he?_ He quickly replayed the last 5 years in his head. Unable to think of when he'd said it, he went through tonight's events again. Booth let out a sigh.

"I never told her, did I?" Booth gave in.

"On the contrary, Agent Booth. You told her in every way you know how. You've been there for her; you've never left her side. In all the ways that truly matter, you've told her. But—"

"But I've never said it…"

"Precisely."

The two men simply sat for a moment. Gordon Gordon quietly finishing his meal, and Booth stared blankly at the tablecloth. The older man finally broke the silence.

"Well, I'm not sure why you're still sitting here with me," he chided. "I believe you have a woman to sweep off her feet."

"Thanks. For the…meal," Booth stood awkwardly and headed for the exit.

"Do you know what, Agent Booth?" Gordon stopped him at the door.

"No, I don't know," he answered, confused.

"Exactly."

"What?" Booth asked, confused.

"Have a good night, Agent Booth," the chef watched the younger man leave and began to clear the plates.

* * *

Booth exited the restaurant and climbed into his SUV. Starting the car, he was surprised hear the radio automatically start. A Hinder song met his ears through the speakers.

"_Maybe we're not meant to be…"_

Booth sighed and slouched against the seat. He'd tell her. He would. He'd just tell her—later. Now clearly wasn't the right time.

He put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road. He was headed for home.


	2. Chapter 2

Booth said no. She had laid her heart out and offered him everything, and he said no.

After he dropped her off at her apartment, Brennan slowly walked up the steps, unlocked her door, and collapsed on the couch. She stared at the ceiling a while, waiting for something to happen, waiting for her to feel something. Eventually, she stood up and grabbed her keys. He just he needed to go.

Starting her car, she already knew the silence would be too much. Her thoughts were too much right now. She punched the button to turn on the radio a little too hard.

"_Who was I to make you wait?_" Nickelback sang through the radio. Brennan immediately pushed the "seek" button and found another station.

"_Is this the end of the moment, or just a beautiful unfolding of a love that will never be?_" the next song rang out. Brennan changed the station just as quickly.

_Damn the universe and its signals, _she thought.

"_Yeah, I'm hot blooded, check it and—"_

She pushed the button again to turn the radio off. This wasn't working. The driving around, the running, it was only leaving her alone with her own thoughts. Or the radio's thoughts, which was almost worse. Before she knew it, Brennan had made a U-turn and was headed in a different direction towards another side of town.

_Hopefully, this will help_, she pleaded.

* * *

Brennan knocked shakily on the door. Booth's words still echoed in her mind.

"I'm with someone…"

"Daisy," she heard a voice through the door. "I told you we aren't spending the night together." Sweets opened the door. "Oh. Dr. Brennan, I thought—"

"You thought I was Ms. Wick," she finished for him. "If you're expecting her, I…I can leave."

At the sound of her voice cracking with tears, he swung the door open wider and gestured her in.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Brennan?" he asked.

She took in her surroundings and immediately felt guilty for disturbing his night. His computer was plugged into his TV, and a video game was on the pause screen.

"What are you playing?" she pointed to the computer.

"Oh, um. World of Warcraft…" he answered sheepishly.

"I've heard that's very popular."

"It is," he paused, waiting. "Dr. Brennan? I'm guessing you didn't come here in the middle of the night to discuss video games."

"I told him," she murmured.

"You told…Agent Booth?" the psychologist guessed. Brennan kept her eyes trained on the paused game. "Ok, what did you tell Booth?"

"I told him," Brennan started. "I told him that—"

"You told Agent Booth that you love him?" he surmised. Brennan moved her head in an almost imperceptible nod. Sweets knew this case had been hard on her, but he wasn't aware of how much. Dr. Brennan was sad. She was feeling, which was good. But she was very clearly sad. "Dr. Brennan, why don't you have a seat at the kitchen table? I'll make us some hot cocoa and you'll tell me what happened, okay?"

Brennan slowly recounted the events of both tonight, and the night in front of the Hoover building, while the younger man prepared the hot drink. There were several points where her voice would crack, and she would pause to regain her control.

"…So I…I told him that I would adjust. And he…he said…"

"What did he say?" Sweets pried.

"He said that he did. Meaning he adjusted. He moved on."

"Do you believe that Agent Booth has moved on, Dr. Brennan?" he inquired, placing two steaming cups of hot chocolate in front of them.

"I believe that he has, yes."

"Why is that?"

Brennan felt as though she were being interrogated. Still, she answered his questions, somehow knowing this would help. "He is with Hannah now. He has told her that he loves her."

"And why does that matter?"

"He never told me that he loved me. At least not in a romantic fashion."

"Agent booth didn't say he loved you that night? When he asked you to give him a chance?" Sweets asked. Brennan shook her head. "If he had said that, confessed his love, would your response have changed?"

"I cannot know for sure, but given the evidence, I conclude that my answer may have bee different."

Sweets sighed inwardly. The woman couldn't just answer a simple question…

The two colleagues let the conversation lull. They sat in silence, sipping their drinks.

Finally, Sweets said something, "Do you love Agent Booth?"

"For as much as I believe that love is nothing but norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain," she explained. Sweets gave her a look that old her to speak in laymen's terms. "I will concede to feeling love, as most people define it, for Booth."

"Does he know?"

"Yes. He should know, at least. Everyone claims to know. And I've been showing him, in my own way. I'm...I'm trying. Why doesn't he see that?" She was getting increasingly more distressed. But Sweets kept pushing her, knowing this is what she needed.

"Did you see his displays of affection, Dr. Brennan?"

"I saw some of them. Many had to be pointed out to me. I just don't understand why he didn't just tell me when—"

"Dr. Brennan—"

"I really wish you'd stop interrupting me, Dr. Sweets."

"Dr. Brennan," he got her attention. "You just said that you wished he would've told you he loved you, correct?"

"Correct."

"Go back through everything you said to him tonight."

She did, closing her eyes and remembering.

"He said no, correct?"

"Correct. But I don't see what this has to do with—Oh…"

Sweets almost smiled. She got it.

"I told him that my biggest regret was letting him go, but I…I never told him…that I love him."

"That is correct, Dr. Brennan."

She finished her drink and handed the mug to Sweets, getting up. He could see the gears turning in her head.

"I...I have to go, Dr. Sweets."

"Alright, Dr. Brennan. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes," she opened the door and stepped out. "Dr. Sweets?"

"Hm?" He looked up.

"Thank you. For…" she trailed off, unable to formulate her thoughts.

"You're welcome, Dr. Brennan."

She closed the door behind her.

Sweets set the mugs in the sink, walked back to the living room, and resumed playing his game.

* * *

Brennan exited the apartment and walked to her car, climbing in. Starting the car, she was surprised hear the radio automatically start. A Hinder song met his ears through the speakers.

"_My love for you has been every step I take, every day I live, everything I've seen…"_

Brennan sighed and leaned against the seat. She'd tell him. She would. She'd just tell him—later. Now isn't the right time, he's with someone. He's happy.

She put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road. She was headed for the lab.


End file.
